Check your child seat (warning: may make you feel a bit ill)



T

Tim Steele

Guest
Last Wednesday I was taking my daughter to hospital to have the cast
changed on her broken arm. On the way out of the hospital I thought
"Must be extra careful" and foolishly chose the cycle path instead of
the road I would normally have chosen. A few metres along the path,
travelling quite slowly. and I hit a patch of leaf mould slime which
caused the front wheel to start skidding to the right and I felt the
bike start to topple.

At this point I remember thinking "Mustn't let my daughter hit the
ground, that's her good arm and if she puts it out straight she'll break
it, after all she broke the other one in the school playground when she
fell over, and this time she'll have the weight of the bike as well" so
I put my leg in the way of the bike to break its fall. I ended up
standing over the bike with the bike lying against my leg.

I then checked that my daughter was uninjured, although my leg hurt. I
cycled home (7 miles) and then sought medical attention; before too long
I was back at the hospital getting 24 stitches in an open wound in my
calf (about 5" long and 1" wide).

Checking the bike it seems certain that the cause was the child seat
mount which essentially is a metal block with a sharp lower edge. These
seats are presumably designed for the safety of the occupant, not the
adult riding the bike. I have notified the makers. The seat I have is a
Britax Jockey Relax.

I'd advise anyone with a child seat to check the mount and pad any sharp
edges (or get a new seat).

Tim
 
On Mon, 21 May 2007 20:25:51 GMT someone who may be Tim Steele
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>Last Wednesday I was taking my daughter to hospital to have the cast
>changed on her broken arm. On the way out of the hospital I thought
>"Must be extra careful" and foolishly chose the cycle path instead of
>the road I would normally have chosen. A few metres along the path,
>travelling quite slowly. and I hit a patch of leaf mould slime which
>caused the front wheel to start skidding to the right and I felt the
>bike start to topple.


When you have recovered I hope you pass this on to your MP as an
example of why people should not be forced to use cycle
"facilities".


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54
 

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